Imagine the Future 5 Delivering the Strategy for Wycombe High Wycombe Town Centre Workshop 8th July 2009
Introduction Councillor Mrs Jean Teesdale Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability
Programme for the Evening 7.00 Welcome by Jean Teesdale (Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability 7.05 Revitalising the Core of High Wycombe Town Centre (David Dewar, Policy Officer, WDC) 7.15 Delivering the High Wycombe Masterplan (Chris Schmidt-Reid, Principal Policy Officer, WDC) 7.30 High Wycombe Masterplan – The New Road Network (John Kemplen, Transport Planning Team Leader, BCC) 7.45 Questions 7.55 Introduction to workshops 8.45 Feedback and concluding comments 9.00 Close
Delivery and Site Allocations Three key documents in WDF: • Core Strategy (adopted July 2008) • Delivery & Site Allocations • Development Management (2011-2013)
Scope of IF5? • An 'Update consultation' • Will Cover: – Major issues with significant change – New issues not covered before • Won’t cover: – Issues that have been covered before and there is not significant change
Revitalising High Wycombe Town Centre David Dewar Planning Officer, Planning Policy, WDC Current ‘state of health’ of the town centre Potential future policies and initiatives
The Good News • Impact of Eden on High Wycombe town centre – Over 75,000sq m of new floorspace – Boost to retail rankings – Weekly footfall more than doubled – Creation of evening economy – New public facilities • More in the pipeline – Sainsbury’s - August 2009 – Bucks New University building – Other town centre fringe sites
The Bad News • More empty shops in the town centre (8.5% in 2006 to 14.5% in 2009 – measured by floorspace) • Loss of environmental quality of public realm
Why the increase in empty shops? • Partly due to new shopping centre opening – Particular impact on Chilterns Shopping Centre • But mainly this combined with the economic downturn – has hit ALL town centres • High Rents + Time lag of lease periods – delayed take-up of units
What are we doing about it? • Responsive planning frontage policies • Connectivity in the town centre • Quality of the public realm • Branding for the town centre • Corporate focus from all stakeholders • Needs landlord support
What do we say about all this in the LDF? More fine-grained approach to analysing the town centre More flexible policies on change of use where appropriate Mixed-use site allocations policies where necessary
Eden (incl former Octagon) • Prime shopping and leisure area for High Wycombe •Vacant frontages = approx 22% •Wider economic downturn having an impact •Improve connectivity with other parts of town centre •Greater mix of good quality food and drink uses to be encouraged in former Octagon Centre •Target minimum percentage of shops: 80%
High Street • Prime shopping and market area •Current vacant frontage = 14% •Woolworths effect •More flexible frontage policy here but maintain as retail area •So target minimum percentage for shops: 50%
Chilterns Shopping Centre/Frogmoor • Leisure/Food and Drink Quarter with Supporting Retail – Prime Public Square •Potential for refurb of Chilterns Centre •Potential for hotel area •Need to maximise use of public open space at Frogmoor
White Hart Street/Queen Square/Church Street • Historic Core and key link •Opportunity to maximise the historic value of this location •More flexible planning approach •Local Development Order •Improve the quality of the public realm
Town Centre Masterplan Chris Schmidt-Reid Principal Planning Officer, Planning Policy, WDC
Town Centre Masterplan Unique opportunity to transform High Wycombe town centre
Master plan • Background • Vision • Solutions • Opportunities • Phasing • Costs
High Wycombe Master Plan •Developed in 3 parts •Core Strategy •Proposed vision for Town Centre
Issues • Connectivity • Environment • Movement • Economy
Connectivity • Key barriers identified are – Abbey Way – Archway
Nature in the Town • Hunt for the river
Movement
Economy • Recession and Eden • Poor quality offices
Vision • “In 2026 High Wycombe town centre will be a uniquely appealing destination with a thriving economic centre, and a high quality public environment, which emphasises the natural environmental, historic and cultural assets of the town. The town centre will be a place where people choose to live, work and visit, with a variety of uses that include a good retail offer, high quality office accommodation and cultural and educational opportunities centred around the Swan theatre and Bucks New University campus. • The town will be will connected and accessible both by road and by public transport to a range of destinations, including the Thames Valley; through traffic will be accommodated on a new A40 route, allowing the full integration of the historic and expanded town centres. High quality public open spaces will connect key areas together, including opportunities to enjoy the River Wye and with direct and attractive linkages for pedestrians and cyclists.”
Solutions • Re-routing traffic • Removing Abbey Way and downgrading Archway • Creating new public spaces • Linkages creating new and enhancing existing
Main Roads - Existing
Main Roads - Future
Open Spaces, River, Gateways
Opportunities • Oxford Road roundabout • Archway • Swan Frontage • Bus Routing
Roundabout Oxford Road
Archway
Frontage Swan
Delivery and Site Allocations
Phasing (1) • Phase one - Eden – In place • 2009 - 14 provide alternative route for through traffic • 2015 – 2020 eastern town centre changes incl. removal of flyover ramps and gyratory • 2021 – 2026 western town centre changes incl. removal of flyover ramps and Archway reduced to single carriageway
Deliverability Assessment • Looks at the following key areas: – Cost of infrastructure and phasing of delivery – Possible financial contributions expected from town centre developments – Financial benefits gained from sites released by removal of carriageway – Identification of funding mechanisms and funding gap
Deliverability • Costs £20.9m • Developer Contributions £3.3m • Other contributions £6.7m • Funding gap approx £11m
Conclusions • Unique opportunity to transform High Wycombe town centre • Constraints and costs being worked on • Funding remains a challenge – but not insuperable • Continue to work with stakeholders
But does it work???? • Practically feasible • Will be complemented by measures that reduce traffic and encourage other modes
Town Centre Masterplan John Kemplen Transport for Buckinghamshire
High Wycombe Town Centre Vision (LTP2)
Main Roads - Existing
Main Roads - Proposed
Changes to traffic direction
Local Access Roads
One Way Bus Loop Option
New Road Alignments
Traffic Modelling Results (1) • Do minimum 2026 scenario (incl. planned growth) involves large additional movement costs cf. 2006 • Modelling shows relatively modest movement costs beyond this because: – Outside the peaks existing network has spare capacity; confidence gained from experience with Eden – Gas works, and Westbourne St link etc provide effective route for through traffic – Some displacement of traffic from the town centre – Compared to the original masterplan • Some simplification of key junctions • Some more spreading of traffic within town eg Archway
Road Travel Costs for High Wycombe 200 180 160 140 '000s of hours 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2006 2026 Core Strategy 2026 with TC changes 2026 with TC changes (signals on Abbey Way) (roundabouts on AW) 2006 2026 extra trips 2026 extra congestion Extra costs of town centre changes
Traffic Modelling Results (2) • Issues: – Abbey Way Gyratory simplified – uses roundabouts rather than signal controlled junctions – Further investigation in progress to confirm • Impact on Bridge Street / Bus Station • Impact on Eden southern access/egress during Saturday afternoon peak – Significant displacement into surrounding areas, including Priory Road area – need to manage this
Phasing • Phase one - Eden – in place • 2009 – 2014 provide alternative route for through traffic • 2015 – 2020 eastern town centre changes including removal of flyover ramps and gyratory • 2021 – 2026 western town centre changes including removal of flyover ramps and Archway reduced to single carriageway
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